


Exposed Chests

by WitchyTwitchy



Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, M/M, Manny Lives Au, Nikita Dies Ep9, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:14:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25419772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchyTwitchy/pseuds/WitchyTwitchy
Summary: maybe surviving wasn't the best ending after all, perhaps death was better than this.because when you survive? you actually have to cope with what happened to you.at least he isn't alone in his pain.[ alternately : manny survives, nikita dies, and mat isn't letting manny lose himself ]
Relationships: The Detective | Matthew Patrick & The Savant | Joey Graceffa, The Detective | Matthew Patrick/The Record Producer | Manny MUA, The Record Producer | Manny MUA & The Troublemaker | Nikita Dragun
Comments: 11
Kudos: 27





	Exposed Chests

**Author's Note:**

  * For [willowcat33](https://archiveofourown.org/users/willowcat33/gifts).



> welcome welcome to a new fic ! this will be a three part au that one of my besties wanted to see, and I had to provide because I adored the prompt.  
> crimewave is currently on hold for this and other works, but I'll return to it, don't worry! 
> 
> enjoy a different take on ep9 and 10, along with a more in depth look at the survivors and manny and mat's relationship.

The feeling of utter defeat crushes his chest the moment he sees that he's lost,  _ again.  _ Pink wasn't supposed to feel so life-threatening, but seeing it on the gun makes his head spin and his knees buckle with a sudden weight he feels all over. The girl's hands shake as she raises it, voice trembling as she reads the note to the small crowd they have gathered. 

"Kill yourself or kill your friend, you decide how this ends."

This wasn't fair, she shouldn't have won. This whole challenge was luck-based yet he had done the most, how was this supposed to be fair? His exhausted brain conjures up the image of a reporter laying in her own guts and blood, unfairness written all over her body, but he shoves it away. This isn't about her, about that, it's about him. And the fact is? This wasn't fair. 

He can't bring himself to focus on whatever Joey and Mat are harshly whispering about, or the crazed laughter bursting from Lucy's throat. His green eyes watch Nikita, yet he doesn't see her, not really. Instead, he sees the gun. Feels the incoming betrayal nipping at his chest. There is only a moment of hesitance before he spots the decision being made, brown eyes flickering with guilt. 

It's the second time she's won against him. And the second time she's decided to put herself first. It makes Manny feel sick,  _ abandoned.  _ He just saved her from the collar and she was going to kill him?

Despite knowing he could take her if he was fast enough, he raises his arms in surrender. White fabric hiding his hands due to the straight jacket's sleeves being naturally long. He isn't sure what he should say. Nothing has ever convinced Nikita to do anything she didn't want to. And if her actions were anything to go by, even Manny - her supposed best friend - wouldn't be able to sway her. His heart aches with intense agony when she starts to point the gun at him. In his anger, in his hurt and fear, he doesn't notice that her arms are shaking. 

"No. No, you aren't going to shoot me." Denial, because it's all he has. Maybe if he says it and believes it enough, it will be true. "You can't pull that trigger. You love me."

"I love you." Nikita agrees, voice straining, and for a moment he thinks she'll drop the gun. 

But instead, she points it at his chest. Manny sucks in a breath, shocked, and takes a couple of steps back. Not caring if he ends up stumbling back into the popcorn. What was she doing?

"Manny, I love you, I love-"

"You're a killer!" He blurts, terror driving his words more than his heart. "What is this, Nikita? Huh? Your fourth body of the night?" 

It's so terrible to say to her, so unlike him that it makes Manny's eyes widen. He wants to stop, he begs himself mentally to stop, because he doesn't like hurting the only person who still loves him; but he can't quit. His jaw clenches and his eyes blaze with hatred that is brought on by his fear. Something in him feels so ugly at this side he's showing. His insides rotting with every word he says as the fear gets stronger. Even when Nikita's face twists with emotion, he finds himself getting more worked up about the fact the gun is still trained on him. 

Everlock wanted him dead with something fierce, and Manny was determined to do anything to get out of here at this point. To spite this crazy fucking town and whatever powers that held them here. He's been in three challenges in a row, somehow managing to escape every single one of them. If Everlock wanted him dead, then the town itself should kill him, because he would wiggle his way out of this situation too. 

Nikita growls, looking defensive, a good sign for him- because it means he hit a nerve. "Don't you dare say that! I did what I had to!"

"Killer!" He snaps, trying to dig deeper. "You killed all those people and still want to survive? I knew you were heartless, Nikita, but this is a whole new low."

"Shut  _ up,  _ Manny!" 

Manny doesn't, because he can't. His mouth is running its own show at this point, not listening to his mental struggle as he keeps on. "You're going to shoot your only friend? I was willing to die for you in the Funhouse! And now- now you're going to throw me away? You never cared!"

Lucy chokes on her giggles, bouncing around and screeching her head off. She's enjoying the show, that much is certain, but he also manages to hear Joey and Mat. While their words aren't coherent to him, his stomach twists with guilt; skin burning with shame. He has a feeling they're talking about what he's saying to Nikita. Poor, distressed, crying Nikita who looks like she's about to fall to her knees and surrender. Manny should let her live, should stop pushing, but-

"If you pull that trigger, have fun surviving with the knowledge that I  _ died  _ hating you."

The moment the words leave his mouth, his tongue feels heavy. He swallows thickly, hoping that he swallows the guilt with it as he watches Nikita's eyes widen. Manny hates himself, but he can't die now. Not after he's come so far. As much as he wants Nikita to escape with him, he can tell it isn't possible. And he wants to be selfless for her, be brave and take the bullets, but he can't. Manny's given her everything he has left in him and now he feels empty. 

The only way he can feel whole again is if he makes it out alive. That has to be the case. 

Nikita stands there, shaking as if she's cold in her own straight jacket. Her makeup runs down her face as her tears do, and it's the second time she's cried all night, both times because of him. She looks away from him, towards the ground, before her knees give out and she falls to them. It reminds him of the Funhouse. Everything seems to remind him of that now. 

When she speaks, it's a broken whisper that he's sure their friends can't hear thanks to Lucy's rambling, but it's something she's never asked anyone before. 

"What do you want  _ me _ to do, then? Kill myself? Is that what you really want?"

_ No.  _ He thinks.  _ No, that's the last thing I want. It was supposed to be me and you, babe.  _ But he finally lowers his hands, knowing he's close to winning and manages to say what he has to say. "Yes. That's what I want."

His voice wavers only a little while he forces that out, but he can't even feel proud of it as Nikita's bottom lip quivers. She chokes on a sob that hollows his chest and he looks away, eyes squeezing shut. 

"Somebody just  _ shoot  _ someone already!" Lucy squeals, running back and forth behind Mat and Joey. "Before I sick my daddy on you both!"

"Fine. Consider it done."

He snaps his head back towards her, green eyes opening with alarm. Nikita has stopped crying now, looking determined as she stands up. Wiping her sleeve over his face to dry her wet cheeks. Manny watches her, tensing, as he waits for her to shoot him. His begging dies on his lips, knowing it won't save him now. 

Nikita takes a deep breath, looking at Lucy as if she wanted to rip her throat out with her nails. The crazed woman grins at the troublemaker, but it looks more like baring her teeth then smiling. The gun is aimed at the ground, and Manny feels his stomach drop. This was how it ends then? She was going to kill him in cold blood. His last words to her wouldn't even be sweet like before. Instead, his words would forever haunt Nikita, and there was nothing he could say to take it back. 

He hears a loud wail from Joey, briefly watching the savant turn away, proclaiming he can't watch this anymore. Manny is quick to look over, to see how Mat is taking everything as well. Maybe he was happy that the producer was going to die? After all, Matthew had such an attitude earlier about it. 

But the detective stands there, eyes trained on the two of them, and there isn't any sort of happiness on his face. His honey brown eyes, tinted with orange due to his sunglasses, are wide as he watches the whole thing. Hands covering his mouth in shock. Manny blinks at that, wishing he could move closer to see if Mat felt any sympathy for him- or if he was just surprised that Nikita was really going to shoot him. 

"Manny. Manny, look at me."

He doesn't want to. He doesn't want to face his death head-on, but he manages to summon the bravery he had felt when he stepped out of the Funhouse, waiting for a death that wouldn't come. Manny turns to her and glares, hoping he looks steady and unmoved. Nikita doesn't seem sad anymore, only sighing with her exhaustion before she raises the gun to-

_ Raise to her head? _

He wheezes, taken aback. "Nikita, what-"

"I am sick and tired of obeying the rules of a crazy bitch's game!" The troublemaker growls out, suddenly looking lively again thanks to her anger. "I'm not a puppet! I won't let them make a killer out of me. I'm not like them."

Oh God. What has he done? Every selfish instinct in his body fades the moment he realizes what she's about to do because of his words. Manny's jaw becomes slack, mouth open as he struggles to find any words to say back. He stumbles forward, wanting to help, wanting to do anything to protect her and  _ Nikita, I'm so sorry- _

She glares at him, lips curled into a scowl, and he stops in his tracks. "Don't you dare, Manny."

Her voice is so cold now, and Manny feels his eyes water as he realizes how bad he's messed up. "Kita, please don't do this, I didn't mean it!"

"Stop it. Just- just  _ stop!"  _ The blonde pressed the gun to her temple. "I'm not doing this for you, anyway. I'm proving a point."

He knows that's not true; not even Nikita would give up her own life to prove a point. She was all about survival! It suddenly hits him then that his words drove her to think about doing this, and that she cares this much about Manny. He feels so stupid for questioning her love earlier! The producer shakes, body shaking as he struggles to maintain his composer, still naively hoping they can both make it somehow. That there will be another harp, a chance to bring her back. He had hoped for Mat to return, and he did! What's the difference now?

Lucy groans, bending back dramatically. "Just do it already!"

Manny, panicking, dashes forward to stop her, but that turned out to be the biggest mistake ever. He must've scared Nikita, because the moment he leaps forward, arms outstretched to take the gun-

_ BANG! _

His hands grab at the air as the body falls to the ground with a thud. Manny's vision swarms as he glances down. 

"Oh my god! No, Nikita!"

"She shot herself! She shot…!"

There, on the ground, is the lifeless body of his best friend. The fierce, unstoppable Nikita Dragun. She's crumpled on the floor, completely still as blood leaks from the large wound in her head; staining the blonde locks that fall near it. The sparkling gun lays right next to her hand. Manny chokes on his own spit, something in him shattering into a million pieces as the tears flood down his face. His hands fly over his mouth and yet his sobs are still loud, echoing in his ears as his shoulders shake. He falls to his knees beside her and cries harder than he ever has. Hands itching to reach out and see if there are any bullets left to use on himself. 

He wheezes, the edges of his vision blackening as he loses oxygen by how hard his chest is heaving. Manny speaks, but it's all incoherent due to how hard he's sobbing and how thick his voice is. His head pounds with the intensity of his crying, but none of this physical pain matches the one in his chest. 

"Manny! Hey-"

"Mortimer? Mortimer, what are you..?" A disbelieving gasp follows those words. "Mat, he grabbed the artifact-!"

Suddenly, everything goes mute as Manny stares at the corpse in front of him. It's as if his body is shutting down on him, unable to cope with the grief that's flowing through his veins. Everything hurts for a long time before he just feels numb. Tears now silently falling down his face as he just takes in Nikita. 

_ Gone.  _ She's gone forever. Manny will never see her again, or hold her again. And Nikita did it to herself for him. And after the pain ebbs into nothingness, Manny just continues to stare blankly. It's over. There's no point. Everyone was dead. Even Joey and Mat had been dead. Now it felt like it was just him. 

Completely and utterly alone in a ghost town. 

He should've died. Should've taken the bullets. Manny can't do this anymore, why did he ever think surviving would make him feel whole again? He was meant to die here, he feels it in his very bones. The Record Producer should've died long ago because he wasn't built for this. Mat should've never died, he should have taken the fall. And in the Funhouse it should've been him with his guts ripped out, not Safiya. Ro should be here, not him. Nikita should-!

A hand grabs his shoulder in a firm grip, and Manny yanks away violently. The moment he's tugged back into reality in such a quick way makes bile rise to his throat, suddenly feeling beyond ill. He turns away from Nikita and vomit gushes out of his mouth and nose; burning him. His eyes burn and so does his nose. Acid leaks all over the floor, creating a puddle he can barely stop himself from collapsing into. Manny squeezes his eyes shut in pure agony, wanting to scream but having no energy to do so. 

"Mat, we gotta go! We'll come back for him later!" 

"I'm not  _ leaving  _ him here! Manny, we have to go, come on, up and at 'em!" 

Manny sobs again, the numb feeling replaced by a yearning he can't describe. A yearning he can't fulfill with Nikita being dead. "She's gone!" He screams. "I can't go, I can't, she's gone, she needs me-"

Arms wrap around his arms and he's pulled upwards, but he only gets brought up a few centimeters before the hands let go of him. He falls back down on his ass, crying out and reaching for Nikita. His arms are tugged away again though, but this time there's another set of arms wrapped around him. Manny is brought up more this time, but before he falls back down, a person makes him fall against their body. Now that he's supported up, he doesn't fall to the ground, but he starts to wail louder. 

He can't leave Nikita here, all by herself in that hideous straight jacket. She would kill him for it. Manny tries to reach out to her corpse again, but a force tugs him back; the body he's leaned against maneuvering them away. The longing gets deeper with every step they take, because he knows he'll never see his girl ever again, and it's all his fucking fault. 

Swollen, red eyes water again with a new flood of tears as the pain hits again. Getting harder each time it hits. His body shakes as he moans in pain, feeling no comfort from the soft circles being rubbed into his back or the voice whispering in his ear. Manny can't see shit with how wet his eyes are; the carnival lights being all blurry makes him freak out some more. His chest heaves with anxiety, but the voice keeps encouraging him with a desperation that he hadn't heard before. 

"One foot in front of the other, yeah! That's right! I got you, I got you."

He sees someone running ahead of them, a blur of white and light brown, and knows it's Joey. Manny suddenly feels familiarity in the touch he's receiving and realizes that Matthew's the one guiding him. He expects the usual spark to come with his typical flushing, but he continues to just feel pain and a numbing sensation. Nikita's suicide has destroyed him that bad. Nothing will ever be the same again, he feels this with certainty. 

Manny isn't sure he can ever go home after this. If he has the energy to beat the Carnival Master. He just wants to crawl back to the tent and lay beside Nikita and... _ stay.  _

Yet he doesn't make any effort to escape Mat's grip. Simply leaning on him and letting himself be escorted out, eyes trained in front of him, though he doesn't register anything he's seeing. Joey and Calliope rushing ahead, the church blazing with blue lights, dawn lingering on the horizon line.

It's almost over, the record producer thinks as he and Mat finally cross the bridge. He doesn't have to fight anymore. A good thing too, considering he doesn't even feel like he can. 

They stumble across the grass, Mat huffing as he practically drags Manny along, and it's really admirable how determined the detective is. A thought that leaves his mind as quickly as it enters, remembering how determined Nikita had been. How he  _ killed  _ her. Manny's fingers twitch, feeling the weight of the gun even though he never even touched it. He might as well have pulled the trigger. 

Manny's a murderer. A liar. A selfish human being who deserves death. He killed the man that's standing beside him now, he killed Colleen, he killed Safiya, he killed Rosanna- He really had more blood on his hands then his best friend did, and he had made her look worse in front of everyone else. 

Mat balances Manny on his side before he kicks open the church doors, quickly pushing them into the building with a gasp. He looks around, eyes still swollen from his plight, and feels confused at what he sees. The confusion settles into disappointment when he slowly realizes what's happening. Joey and Calliope stand in front of them, trying to talk a deranged Mortimer down as he gets ready to put the collar on a pedestal. 

_ Go ahead.  _ Manny sighs, wanting to just lay on the cool ground and die.  _ Kill us all. Kill this town. I don't care.  _

What was the point in surviving after the horrors he witnessed? After he murdered Nikita? Manny sucks in air as his eyes water again, and the only reason he doesn't sob some more is because he can't produce more tears to accompany a mental breakdown. His hands clutch at orange fabric, but the detective continues to look forward with dark eyes. 

Calliope's voice booms in the old building, muscles tense as she takes small steps forward. "You're being controlled! The artifact corrupted you!" She shakes her head, wild black hair moving about. "You know this isn't right-"

"Says you. I just watched a girl blow her brains out-" Manny flinches at that, chest tightening as he struggles to gulp down more air. "-I can't do this anymore. Nicholas said he would set us all free."

"Nicholas?" Joey asks, voice rising in pitch. "Do you mean the Carnival Master?"

Mat steps forward, dragging Manny with him. "Mortimer, buddy, you don't have to do this." 

While Joey and Calliope seem shocked, voices shrill with hurt at the betrayal they were trying to stop, he notices the even tone Mat has. Did the detective know this would happen? He sounds like he did, voice fakely soft as if he knew Mortimer wouldn't listen to him. Manny wonders how Nikita would feel, how she would react. 

His mind displays an image of her throwing insults at Mortimer left and right, threatening to rip off his dick or something. It makes his heartthrob. He wants her to be here. The image feels so vivid, like a memory, and fuck, Nikita should be here. 

Whatever friend they had found in the man in front of them was gone. His eyes were voids of nothingness, a feeling Manny felt too keenly now, and he shakes his head at everyone's words.

"You'll thank me later. You all will." 

"Mortimer!" Joey screeches, stumbling back as Mortimer places the artifact on a small stone pillar. 

Calliope looks furious, practically spitting her words at him. "What have you done?"

There's a bright flash that comes from the amber case as the artifacts glow with a bright light, pure magic twisting about each one. Manny understands they failed, that everyone died for nothing, and feels so dead inside he might as well be in the ground. Everyone starts shouting, scared, and confused as the amber casing starts to crack violently, and he wonders how they will die. Would the Carnival Master kill them with his hands? Would he drag it out? Manny closes his eyes, exhausted and done, and he feels Mat's grip slip on him. 

The detective digs his nails into the green fabric on his clothes and manages to pull him close again. He feels the other man shake violently, and worries that it's from the physical strain of carrying someone twice his size than from fear. Manny remembers a hand in his, the strain of muscle, and Mat's cries before he was beaten to death- and feels terrible and sick. To try and soothe the other's physical strain, he puts more weight on himself than on Mat. Making the first effort he's made since he cradled the troublemaker's body. 

Matthew Patrick still doesn't stop shaking. 

Panicked screams echo in the church when a foot slams through the orange case, pieces of thick amber flying around them from the hard impact. He moves backward when Mat does, eyes blandly watching as the devil himself emerges from his containment. 

Manny was picturing a demon of some kind, but the creature before them wasn't what he expected in terms of fear factor. His skin is a soft blue, hair a tangled black mess, and his chin imperfect with bumps. He's tall in size, arms muscular as he moves them- as if adjusting to movement all over again. Green eyes narrow at the sight with fading curiosity at the glowing stone stabbed into his chest. It was the most fascinating thing about the devil if he was being brutally honest. The gem looked pretty, and he knows Joey must be watching it too, with the savant's obsession with gems and all. 

Their psychic friend growls at the sight of him, moving to stand in front of the three boys with her arms outstretched. She's protecting them. Manny finds himself feeling strangely disappointed in that, and not very impressed. Calliope was a fighter, sure, but she was always beaten with ease. If she couldn't save any of their friends, how could she save them?

( She didn't even try to save Nikita or him. Calliope had watched Nikita pull the trigger like everyone else. ) 

"Well, well, well!" The Carnival Master purrs, voice deep. It echoes in Manny's head, and he wonders if he's going crazy. "Look what we have here. I've been expecting you all to see the show's final act!"

"Back off!" Calliope snaps, looking vicious and wild. 

Joey puffs out his chest, trying to seem brave even though he remains behind their helper. "Yeah, like she said!"

He himself remains quiet, not trusting his voice to sound like his own when he speaks. And the last thing the group needs is for their foe to hear the grief in his voice, and notice how he's the weak link of the group. It's a bit odd that Mat remains silent as well, but the detective has slowly drawn in on himself as the night drains on. He doesn't want them to win suddenly, because he's sure victory isn't supposed to feel like this. And if he can't feel alive about winning, what's the point of winning at all? He doesn't even care about this town, and he's lost everyone to it. 

Selflessness was a horrible way to leave, apparently. He should've made him and Nikita stay home. 

The devil tilts his head at Joey, who squeaks and rushes to hide behind the two of them. A sneer crosses his face at the savant as if his existence angered his soul. "Of course they sent you to fight their battles. They love putting people in a war that isn't theirs!" 

Dark eyes fall into him and Mat too, finally, and he growls. "Pathetic. Look at how destroyed you all are from the Society's games. And you think you can beat me?"

Mat shivers, digging his nails harshly into Manny's clothes again. So hard, in fact, that he feels the nails against his skin. He winces, but at least he knows his body hasn't become numb completely too. 

The savant looks terrified, like he wants to bend the knee to the creature, but manages to keep up his heroic facade.

"We'll win! We have to!" 

A snort of amusement comes from the Carnival Master, teeth-baring in his cruel smile as if he heard a joke. "You're all dead men walking."

There's a cough that turns everyone's attention back to a certain traitor, who's been silent the whole time while he watched everything unfold. There's admiration in his glazed eyes as if he's entranced by the evil before him. The Carnival Master smirks, grabbing the human and tugging him closer- almost looking like he was going to rip off the man's arm. At this, Calliope's face falls with a new emotion on her face,  _ fear.  _ An emotion he never wants to feel again. An ugly, twisted emotion that made him kill Nikita. 

Everyone here is so scared. He hates it. Manny is glad he feels nothing but emptiness at this point. Who knows what he would've done if he felt fear here? Probably get someone else killed to selfishly live another day. 

"Easily manipulated, these townsfolk are. The human psyche is truly my favorite toy." The devil whispers with a fondness that makes Manny's stomach twist. "Their bodies are just as fragile as their minds. So easily breakable...not so easily fixed."

That's something that hits a little too close to him. Manny sucks in a breath, willing down the sudden panic in his chest that comes out of nowhere. He can't control anything anymore. It's as if all control was slipping from him and Nikita wasn't  _ here  _ to ground him anymore. The reminder of how alone he is comes again in a wave, washing over him with a cold sensation. Even if the detective was pressed against him, he barely felt it and knew it was just out of obligation. They weren't close, any bond they had was strained the moment he told Mat they didn't need him anymore- and then broke completely when the detective joyfully watched him compete for his life. 

It was now Mat and Joey. Then Manny. Not Mat and Joey and Manny. And maybe the distinction wasn't that big of a deal to anyone else, but it was to him. He was truly, utterly alone. For a brief moment, he wonders if he did the right thing, driving Nikita to kill herself just so she doesn't feel the intense loneliness he feels; until he realizes Joey and Mat  _ liked  _ her. Joey adored the troublemaker due to her helpfulness and passion, and even Matthew had grown fond of her despite  _ everything _ . It was just him. They just didn't like him. He doesn't blame them, Manny is slowly figuring out he doesn't like himself much either. 

To try and dull the ache in his chest, he watches as clawed fingers trail over Mortimer's jaw with a gentleness that seems twisted. It makes him want to look away, but he can't help but focus on it, it distracts him from the horrible acts they've all committed. He watches, noises muted as his group talks amongst themselves, but the sound comes back the very moment Mortimer's neck is snapped. 

"He just killed him!" Joey gasps. 

Mat lets out a noise, "He was too far gone to help, anyway. Maybe it's for the best." But his voice raises in volume once they all spot Calliope rushing forward. "Wait, what are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed!"

The psychic doesn't listen to them, grabbing Mortimer's gun from his belt. The moment he sees it, his eyes tear up again and burn. Manny stifles a sob, remembering a bright pink gun in shaky hands, and rips out of Mat's grasp to turn all the way around. Hiding his face in his hands as he continues to ruin his makeup. He feels a hand touch his back, gently, but doesn't respond to it as images flash through his mind. Nikita, looking utterly defeated despite the fact she had won. The girl's hate on her face when he talked down to her. The loud-

_ BANG! BANG!  _

Manny shudders, jumping every time he hears Calliope fire a round off. 

_ BANG- _

He hates this. Everything in his body stiffens at the overbearingly loud noise. His ribs hurt as he struggles to breathe. All the while, there's a firm hand rubbing up and down his back, and he doesn't have to turn around to see who was comforting him. 

Luckily for him, the gun stops firing. But when he hears it clatter on the ground, he already knows what's happening before anyone cries out. Calliope has lost her weapon, it isn't hard to guess what's about to happen next. 

"How sad." The Carnival Master - or Nicholas as Mortimer had revealed - scolds. "That's all you got? Why is everyone here so  _ useless?  _ Even your friends had put up a better fight, little lady."

This was it then? There's no way they can come back from this once their last helper's neck is snapped. The devil has been freed, dawn was fast approaching, and there wasn't anyone left to save the world but the three of them. And he was too tired, too ready to see Nikita again, to be of any help to the two dead men huddled near the entrance with him. So really, it was two against an impossible force. 

If the Society failed, how could they ever manage to win? 

What makes everything worse is, despite not looking at the scene, he hears their helper snarling. Her noises dying off into breathless wheezes and weak battle cries. Manny is hearing her dying, and it's the most disgusting thing ever. Why couldn't she be quick, like Mortimer? Like Nikita? Why was Nicholas dragging it out? The producer swallows, letting out a soft whimper when he hears the familiar snap of someone's  _ neck.  _

The hand on his back stops suddenly once the sound rings out. And after there's another thud sound ( one that reminds him again, of  _ her  _ ) silence follows after it. 

Feeling obligated to at least face their soon to be killer, he slowly turns back around, watching the Carnival Master stare at them with his dark eyes. There's a small smirk on his lips, looking sinister on a face such as his own. Manny's shoulders sag, realizing that this truly was their final stand. There was no way they were getting out of here alive. 

The savant doesn't seem too eager to lay down and accept their fate, though. "T-this isn't over!" Joey sputters out, face red with embarrassment, "We'll win!"

The devil chuckles, not even hesitating to ignore the man. "You should've known better than to come here, to help aid the Society in this battle. You're going to pay for this with your lives."

Even though the other two men recoil at that, Manny finds comfort in the idea. It's better than being vessels, and they would get to see their friends again. It wasn't like they had any other options but to die at the hands of the beast. The producer looks at Nicholas, eyes sore and swollen from his previous crying, and for a moment - the devil looks back. Dark eyes flashing with an electric blue. It's almost captivating, before the light in said eyes dim. 

"Manny, stay back!"

Unknowingly to him, he had stumbled forward, but before he could get any farther; Mat's hands wrapped around his arm and tugged him back to the detective's side. The action makes him lose his footing a bit, and yet the smaller male is right there to steady him. Looking at him with worried, brown eyes. If he looks close enough, he swears he can see the anger in them too. He's probably angry about Manny being so useless, the thought makes him look away and stand alone. 

Before the detective can open his mouth, Joey closes in on the two of them, eyes wide. While Manny himself doesn't feel too scared, he moves closer to the savant as well, letting their shoulders rest against each other. The blonde-haired man looks up at him, eyes softening-

There's suddenly another pressure on his other side, and when he glances over, it turns out it's Matthew. Said detective has his arms crossed over his chest; glaring at Nicholas. Well, maybe they don't completely hate him, either that; or they just like comfort. Nonetheless, he wraps his arms around both of them to bring them closer, something they both seem to appreciate considering how limp they go at the contact. 

When the Carnival Master steps forward, the trio shuffles back. The blue demon looks at them with amusement, before looking down at the ground with his arms slowly raising to his sides. As he does this, the gem lodged in his chest starts to glow a vibrant blue, and Manny finds himself as fixated on that as he had been with the demon's eyes. A circle of light shines from around Nicholas, particles of something flying up from the circle. The concept of magic was something he knew was real from all he's seen tonight, but this scene solidified that fact. Magic was real. It was real and as intoxicating as it was, there was no doubt that this particular magic was evil. 

"The artifacts are glowing. Why are they glowing?" Mat points out, stiffening in Manny's hold. His voice starts off curious before edging towards panicked. 

Were they? Green eyes glance to where the small podiums are, and low and behold, the artifacts really are glowing. It's the same glow as the circle. What was the Carnival Master trying to do exactly? 

Joey yanks himself away from Manny's grip, the record producer's right side suddenly feeling cold. "He's summoning something. I've seen this before. We have to go, now."

"Go? We can't leave the artifacts!" The detective snaps, looking ill at the idea. "Our friends died for them! He can't just have them without a fight!"

The shrill in Matthew's voice makes his heartache, so he squeezes the other man's shoulder in hopes of comforting him. Mat lets out a frustrated noise, but he feels the detective cuddle in closer, his hand back to resting on Manny's lower back. Despite this, the man still looks at Joey, jaw clenched, and remaining as stubborn as always. 

"Do you want to die  _ again,  _ Mat?" Oh, the savant hits a nerve there, seeing as how Mat's face falls. "We did what we could, if we run now, we can still make it! I can't lose you guys, not after…"

_ Everything _ . Manny understands that maybe not as intensely, but he still gets it. While he would give anything to have Nikita here, he still doesn't want Joey or Mat to die. They came this far, haven't they? As much as he deserves death, he knows for a fact the other two don't. Their friends would want them to make it, Manny knows that much. He glances between the Carnival Master ( who seems to be growing stronger ) and then Mat, seeing the conflict on his face. 

"We have to go, Joey's right."

He's surprised when Matthew looks at him as if he's done something wrong. "You're siding with him?" The detective's voice rises into a shrill tone, and he looks as if he's been betrayed. 

But he hasn't been! Manny reasons to himself. There was no other option here. The urge to join Nikita in death was still bubbling up in his chest, but there was no way in hell he was going to let that need kill the two who deserved to survive this. He wasn't taking any side, he was just trying to find a way to save them. And this was the only way. 

It was the cowards way out, certainly, but it was all they could do. Run and hope whatever Nicholas summoned wouldn't get them. 

"I'm not taking his side! Don't you get that? This is the only thing we can do that won't result in us dying. We have to listen to him."

Slowly but surely, resolve seems to wash over the man. The stubbornness fading from his eyes and only leaving the tired, beaten detective in its wake. Mat looks horrible, no longer basking in the beautiful glow of resurrection. There's bruises around his eyes from exhaustion, dirt, and tears tattered along his clothes from all the running and falling. He's so broken when he isn't trying so hard to play the survivor. Sneaking a wary glance at Joey, it hits Manny that they're all broken. 

This isn't what he thought survival would look like. 

"Okay. Okay!" Mat throws his hands up in surrender. "Let's go. Where are we-"

Things suddenly get a lot more chaotic the moment Mat finally relents. The pair of three pauses, stiffening up as the wind starts to howl. It almost seems directed at them. He takes a glance outside and notices, despite the fact dawn was closing in, that everything has grown darker outside. The wind wracks through the trees hard, and he hears it pounding at the church glass and doors. Looking back at Nicholas, he notices the devil is looking at them with a twisted, small smirk on his face. Eyes glowing like before.

The circle suddenly looks a lot brighter, and the particles flying around them have definitely multiplied. 

Yet he still didn't see anything. Was Nicholas not summoning anything at all? Is he just gaining more power to off them? Manny squints, about to look around for more evidence, when he hears Joey let out a rather girly scream. 

At this, he looks back to where Joey and Mat are looking, and his face pales. There's a lot of fear he's felt tonight, but this is a different level of terror. From the windows, he sees the graveyard. Which isn't the scary thing. 

What's  _ scary _ is the corpses crawling out of the graves and running just as fast as the dolls to the windows. The loud thudding of their hands on the glass spooks him, causing him to jump away with a yelp. Were they trying to get in here?

_ Clowns, dolls, now zombies? Give us a break!  _

"They're going to eat you alive!" The Carnival Master's voice booms with power, the ending of his sentence fading into a dark chuckle. 

He swears to God there are goosebumps all over his arms from the chill he feels. Manny backs up even more, the image of his best friend finally leaving his mind as his survival instinct takes over. 

All while he's fixated on the need to run, he doesn't notice Mat staring out the windows with an odd, haunted look on his face. 

Manny hears it before he registers what's happened. There's a hard bang sound that echoes, which can only mean the doors have been forced open. Sure enough, when he focuses behind Nicholas, he sees that he's right. The doors have been slammed open, almost hanging off their hinges from the herd that forced their way through. 

And it's a herd all right. He can't even count how many zombies that now pile in. Their wounds are gaping, eyes empty, and he feels his stomach clench. This is so gruesome. Manny's stomach was a weak one, and there's nothing more he wants to do than kneel over and vomit again. Seeing the dead move was unnatural. There were no words to describe it. 

The very moment the zombies make it past Nicholas, Manny's sickness fades into pure panic. His fight or flight response activates and he races towards the door behind them, shouting for the other two to follow. This seems to snap the detective out of his trance, which has since fixated on the zombies, and he scrambles out the door after him and the savant. 

Despite how tired the boys are, they all seem to fare well with outrunning the zombie herd chasing after them. Movies definitely lied to him about the speed of the undead, these bitches ran like they were on crack!

Either it was because of his physical prowess or his fear, but Manny is in the lead. He feels like he's floating from how fast his feet are moving; barely touching the ground as he pushes on with the last ounce of energy he has. His mind goes on autopilot, only focused on getting to safety. The record producer doesn't care about the date of the town, or Nikita and their dead friends, not while his life is on the line. He really was selfish at nature, wasn't he? The thought causes him pain, and he almost trips on his own two feet. It's the same little slip up as before, but he manages to catch himself before he falls to the ground. 

This does let Joey breeze by him though. 

There wasn't even any hesitation from the savant. He just passes by him stumbling without a second thought. Manny wants to be angry, briefly thinking about how Joey would've stopped for  _ Mat,  _ but he can't be jealous now about the savant picking favorites. 

He regains his footing and keeps running, glancing back to see Mat on his heels. At least he was okay too. 

They would make it. They had to. 

"There! We can hide in there!" Joey shouts back to them as he jumps eagerly onto the building's porch to open the doors. 

Whatever building it is doesn't matter to Manny, he just agrees mentally and tries to run faster. His legs burn from the strain, but he can do this. Soon he's hopping onto the porch too, helping Joey try and push the jammed doors open. 

Mat joins them not a second later, looking frazzled. He glances towards where the herd is and shouts, frantic. "They're right behind us!"

"We're trying!" The savant snaps, looking irritated. 

The detective takes a step back before ramming at the door, which seems to do the trick. Matthew stumbles in, almost falling over from the impact, but there's no time to worry about that now. He and Joey rush in, quickly slamming the door shut. By pure bad luck, the zombies decide to get here just then. They slam against the doors, and Manny gasps. They're going to get in if he doesn't push back. Without thinking, he slams against the doors, forcing all his weight against it. His back presses against the wood, the heels of his shoes digging into the floor as the zombies keep pushing. 

Joey and Mat look at him with fear in their eyes. It's clear he can hold them off alone forever. Another harsh push sends him away from the door, but before anything gets in, Manny is pushing back against the force again. "We need to block the doors!" He shouts at them, and Joey nods, looking around before he rushes off. 

To grab something, Manny hopes.

Mat doesn't follow Joey, instead running to his side and pressing his back against the doors as well. He's surprised the detective wants to stay in his terrible company, but he appreciates the effort. The two of them keep their weight against the doors, but he can tell they're both feeling the exhaustion again. The pushes only get more aggressive, the snarling gets louder, and he's pretty sure more zombies are joining the ones outside. 

But the detective doesn't back down. He growls and fights back, using all of his weight and strength to keep the doors closed. To share the burden feels nice, in a weird way, and Manny really appreciates the man right now. There's no way he could do this alone. 

Especially with how long Joey's taking. 

"Manny, listen, I-" 

The detective's voice can barely be heard through the snarling, yet it rings clear to Manny due to the shock of it. Green eyes glance over, meeting brown, and for a moment, they only stare at each other. He doesn't say anything, he can't, since he's distracted by everything else; but he does wait for whatever Mat wants to say. The man looks at him, opening his mouth to speak when-

"Here! I found this board! It's not the best but it's sturdy!"

Both men's attention snaps to the savant, who is before them, struggling to hold the board. Manny and Mat reluctantly move away, and before the zombies come through, the board is placed in front of the doors. Just like that, they're safe. For now. 

The three of them back away, taking a moment to just breathe and regain some sort of sanity. Manny places his hands on his knees, hunching over as he gasps for air. 

Everything seems to calm down after a minute or two. The zombies realize they can't get in and leave. Silence taking up the once loud space outside. His muscles ache and so do his lungs, but at least they're alive. 

Matthew, naturally, is the first to break the silence. "They were all dead."

The weight of his sentence finally makes Manny understand why he seemed so fixated on the zombies before. Of them crawling out of the graves. It makes sense, Mat had been dead too, and now here he is, living and breathing and alive. Joey on the other hand? He glances the savant's way, who doesn't seem all too bothered. Maybe he was just used to death, unlike Mat. 

"He just raised the dead, you guys." Joey whispers, shaken. 

"Not the first time we've seen it." Manny gently approaches, "You guys both have come back from the dead, one way or another."

They look at him oddly, as if taking in the truth of the statement. Joey shakes his head after a while, "Not the same thing. We didn't come back like that."

"Yeah. We didn't." 

The two share a look of something he can't place, and the familiar jealousy hits Manny again. He tries to swallow it back down, but the lonely pang is too hard to ignore now that he's safe. Why was he even here? Everything felt so lonely without…

Without Nikita. 

Oh,  _ Nikita.  _ Manny remembers her again. The image of her corpse already growing fuzzy in his mind despite the short amount of time it's been; and he hates himself for starting to forget already. His girl was unforgettable. What he made her do was unforgettable. His lips tremble, eyes stinging with tears again, as he recalls everything once more. 

Why did everything feel like this again? Would he feel like this forever? His breath quickens because no, no it can't be this way forever. Manny can't cope with this weight and guilt and loss for the rest of his life. He wasn't built like the troublemaker, she was ( had been ) stronger than him. 

If she was here, she could handle this. Manny made such a mistake. If he could take it back he would-

( He wouldn't. Even if being alive hurts, he doesn't want to die. Not even for her. He's so terrible and horrible and oh god- )

"Nikita-" He croaks, not meaning to say it out loud, but he can't help it. Keeping it in hurts worse. 

No one else says a word as Manny breaks down. Covering his face with his hands to try and muffle his crying as he sobs. It's strange how many tears humans hold, even stranger how crying this much makes your cheeks scratchy and your head ache. After a moment, he hears the other two talk about the map, before someone walks off to supposedly grab it. It's only when he feels a grip on his shoulder that he lowers his hands to see what's happening. 

Of course, it's Mat standing before him, eyes unreadable but soft as he stares at the producer. If anyone was going to waste their time comforting him for a  _ murder _ , it was apparently Matthew Patrick. 

There's no doubt in his mind that he looks ugly. His black hair is messy and his eyes are red, not to mention how blotchy his face must be from the blood rushing to his cheeks. Despite how silly it seems, embarrassment hits him from how terrible he looks. He never wants anyone to see him like this, ever, and now Mat was. What a wreck the supposed  _ strongman  _ was. 

The brunette sighs, a cautious shadow falling over his face. "You did what you had to do."

"I did what I  _ had to?  _ Are you serious?" 

"She was going to shoot you. You were scared." Mat's voice hardens as he speaks, almost sounding angry at the events. "Nikita was your best friend and she betrayed you!"

Manny shakes his head wildly, sniffling as he shoves Mat's hand away. "She was going to, but she didn't. I was the one who betrayed her, Mat. I made her kill herself."

Despite the fact he batted his hand away, the detective leans closer, whispering to him as if that softens his words, "Don't say that. That was her call. You didn't think she'd do it."

Overwhelmed, the record producer grows angry, "You just wanted her dead! Stop pretending you care."

The words hit the target, and Mat flinches, leaning back. There's hurt there, but it's hidden fast as the detective sighs and closes his eyes. He takes a step back, giving Manny space, and stuffs his hands into his pockets. There's a moment between them that gives him enough time to calm down, realizing he shouldn't have lashed out at the detective when he was only trying to help. Manny opens his mouth to apologize, but Mat beats him to it. 

"Maybe I did want her dead." He confesses, voice strained. His eyes open and something darkens in them. "And maybe I wanted-"

Whatever he was going to admit to, he stops himself from doing it. Matthew closes his mouth, seeming shaky. The tension between them seems to thicken, and he isn't sure what to make of the confession itself. The troublemaker and the detective never got along all too well, but for a moment, he truly thought Mat liked her. Had it all been an act? Anger, confusion, and grief flow through him, making him struggle to function. Before he can say anything, their attention is drawn away. 

Joey rushes towards them with the map, "You were right, Mat! There's new things on here. I think we might be able to salvage this mission."

He places the map on the table, pointing eagerly at the new things and explaining them out loud. Whatever conversation he was planning to have escapes him the moment he lets Mat go. The detective doesn't even glance his way as he huddles near the savant, looking over the other's shoulder to look at the map of Everlock. His cheeks are flushed, probably from anger or embarrassment, but besides that; everything's back to normal. 

Or as normal as  _ being stuck in a death game  _ can be. 

Reluctantly, he lets it go and gets closer too. Staying at the other side of Joey to keep his distance from the detective. The map has definitely changed. It seemed like all hope wasn't lost, even if it still feels like it is. 

Every part of him doesn't want to do this anymore. Not without his girl by his side. But he knows that if he doesn't, Nikita's death will be in vain. 

_ I'll do it for her _ , Manny reasons to himself,  _ her death, and everyone else's won't be in vain.  _

And that was a promise he would do his best to keep. 


End file.
